Who is Basquiat? Exploring Jay-Z's connection with the painter in wake of Lord Jamar's comments

Lord Jamar appeared on The Art of Dialogue podcast on October 4, 2024, and stated that Jay-Z has presented himself similarly to Jean-Michel Basquiat. Jamar suggested that while rumors on the internet can often be dismissed, many of the rumors were relevant before the internet became prevalent. He seemingly referred to the scrutiny Jay-Z is facing amid the Diddy scandal.

Jamar said:

"I'm just saying some of these rumors have been about people for a long time. You've been hearing little things about them and have u heard little sh*t about Jay-Z, yep!"

He continued:

"Do I think that he's trying to emulate himself & present himself as a gay painter, like to look like Basquiat! Yep, I do. I think 50 Cent was right about that..."

Lord Jamar further spoke about a "code," meant to make oneself more approachable to the white community. He questioned why people are so intrigued by Basquiat. According to Jamar, this code was to make others believe that one was cultured.

Born in December 1960 in New York City, Basquiat was an artist who gained massive fame in the 1980s as a part of the graffiti duo SAMO. His mother, Matilde, reportedly inspired him to love art by taking him to local artist museums. He even made an appearance in the 1981 music video for Rapture by Blondie.

According to Hang Up Pictures, Basquiat was reportedly known for his original portrayal of history. Shortly after his death, renowned art dealer Jeffrey Deitch said:

"I would say that Jean-Michel had more raw talent as an artist than anyone I’ve ever met in my life."

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Everything to know about Basquiat and Jay-Z's connection amid Lord Jamar's remarks

As mentioned earlier, Lord Jamar spoke about the connection between Jay-Z and the late neo-expressionist artist Basquiat. According to Jamar, Jay has been trying to imitate the late artist, possibly to get more approachable.

In 2013, Jay made several references to the artist in his track Picasso Baby. He rapped:

"I'm the new Jean-Michel."

According to the official website of NMAAHC:

"Basquiat was and is still considered a ground-breaking artist in the neo-expressionism art movement. A young black artist, his artwork dealt with themes of racism, classism, colonialism, and other power structures and their effects on U.S. society."

Several well-known celebrities are fans of the artist, including Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen de Generes, Johnny Depp, and Bono. He has also been one of America's most expensive artists, as reported by Hang Up. His painting was reportedly sold for a hefty sum of $100 million during a Sotheby’s auction in 2017.

Before that, in 2016, one of his "Head" paintings was allegedly sold for $57.3 million. Several of his other works have been sold for a huge amount of money.

In 2021, a controversy involving Jay-Z and Beyoncé surfaced when they campaigned for Tifanny using the artist's art. As Business Insider reported then, the artist's friends too stated that they were "horrified." They claimed that the art presented there didn't actually represent the artist.

They argued that his art was commercialized, and that wasn't what he was actually about. Lord Jamar's remarks about Jay-Z have grabbed massive attention in light of these discussions.